The invention relates to a mobile telephone support device which includes a base body to be mounted on a support surface for firmly retaining an article such as a mobile telephone.
With the increasing use of cellular telephones such support devices are becoming quite popular recently particularly for supporting cellular telephones in motor vehicles. Generally, such support devices include side walls which are pulled together by springs whereby an article or a telephone is engaged between the side walls. Also, support devices have become known which have side walls which can be moved toward each other against the force of a spring and which can be locked in various positions in which they engage an article or telephone therebetween. This arrangement has the advantage that the article can be released by unlocking the side walls so that they are moved apart by the spring and, in their rest positions, the side walls are disposed apart so that the article can be easily placed between the side walls of the support device and the side walls can then be moved together into engagement with the article and locked in place.
A support device, which operates particularly well, is disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 08/654,122. This support device includes a base body with two clamping walls which are movable relative to each other that is at least one of them is movable toward the other against the force of a spring and can be locked in various positions. A release mechanisms is provided by which the clamping walls can be released. It further includes a rotary member which is pivotally supported and is operatively coupled with the clamping wall so as to be rotated by lateral movement of the clamping wall. The locking mechanism includes a first engagement wedge by which the rotary member can be engaged. Although this support device operates effectively, it may not be suitable for all support applications, or it may be considered to be unnecessarily cumbersome by some users as the clamping walls have to be moved for depositing an article on, or removing it from, the support device.
It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a support device for supporting articles and particularly mobile telephones in such a way that there is no need for the movement of engagement walls for retaining the article upon depositing the article nor for the removal of the article from the support device.